Well, now that I finally get to try to commute to the CBD from the Hills, they close the M2

Anyway I thought I'd give it one crack on thursday before the M2 closes to cyclists.

Was wondering if anyone has a plotted route from the Hills to the CBD via the M2. The sections I am particularly unsure of are from Lane Cove Tunnel to CBD eastbound, and the missing link at North Ryde westbound on the M2.

Is the stretch from Dehli Rd to the Harbour Bridge all dedicated cycle way, or do you end up back on the roads through North Sydney (West St etc - am not famliar with the streets of Nth Syd)? And is there enough signage showing cyclists where to go?

Similarly, the detour on the home journey from North Ryde to Epping - is that the official detour route, with signage or do you go your own way?

Inbound from North Ryde to Naremburn it's all path. From there you jump onto West St (door-zone territory). You'll need to memorise the route or follow your nose because there are some bike route signs but few and far between (but North Sydney isn't too tricky).

Outbound from North Ryde to Epping, the route I've been using for two years has not become the official route. The M2 people have actually done a good job with signage on this route unlike most others I've seen. There's a bike painted on the road every 100m it seems like plus good signs at every turn you need to take.

Yeah, I've been wondering when I'd bump into Darren somewhere on the bike. Don't know if he's ever out on the M7 path. I recognised you first from across the road just from your BNA pics and vids, and I new Darren knew you so it was easy to then recognise him from a distance too.

I enjoyed the ride in. Hopefully that wind doesn't pick up too strong for the ride home. Thanks for your tips yesterday, and nice to meet the ever present Boognoss.

It just sucks that now that I'm in the CBD for a few months, the M2 closes down I'll be starting work in Appin in a few months and that's just too far to ride to and back every day.

I'll be riding the official detour both directions tomorrow morning with Darren (from home so east of North Rocks). Keep an eye on the M2 detour thread. I'll post there on the experience.

Darren and I have ridden the M7 cycleway a little prior to the detours. Not lately as he's been commuting with me from time to time or doing a city loop on a weekend to hook up with a mate of ours in Rozelle. The detours are a major pain too.

I have done the M7 cycleway to death so even when it's reopened completely I need to limit my exposure for fear of falling asleep from boredom in the saddle .

The westbound trip home was good, albiet a little frustrating! From Lane Cove to Beecroft spent more time at traffic/pedestrian lights than actually riding. Not sure if I'm cut out for the frustration of commute riding

Am keen to keep doing it if the detours turn out alright, so i"ll be keeping a close eye on your posts on the new routes.

Anyone know what the current status of the m2 is? EG. Is it fully ridable, if not when it will re-open...

Does the m2 website have alternative routes like the m7?

Currently not ridable at all for the entire length and estimated contruction ends in "early" 2013.

There is a website that has the one alternative route (which sucks hard) but it's all they bothered to provide cyclists with. Most cyclists I know that use this corridor myself included use parts of the official route and other little variations to make it suck slightly less.

One comment to make is that the detour is actually very well signposted so you'd be hard pressed to get lost for the most part (at least from the eastern end to West Pennant Hills where I head off to Castle Hill).

Brownster wrote:Any word on whether they are on schedule with the works on the M2. Was originally closed for 2 years which means it should re-open next Jan?

I hear on the grapevine that they are somewhat behind schedule. All the wet weather has not been helping. My guess, "early-2013" will end up being "late 2013". The planning approval stipulated that the bike lane must be available within 3 months of the completion of the motorway, so we may not get access immediately (Refer to this Document, Page 6 - Point 2.5)

Hmm. I have heard that the critical path (for all you builders out there) for that project runs through the tunnel widening, which is not affected as much by wet weather. But it's 9 months per tunnel, and they only started on the eastbound tunnel in about September (after spending 6 months disconnecting and making safe all the services in there). On that basis they should finish widening the eastbound tunnel in June 2012, and then move to the westbound tunnel, which (if this is right) could be finished around March 2013.

The other outdoors stuff might be running late, but there's more scope to catch up.

rogan wrote:Hmm. I have heard that the critical path (for all you builders out there) for that project runs through the tunnel widening, which is not affected as much by wet weather. But it's 9 months per tunnel, and they only started on the eastbound tunnel in about September (after spending 6 months disconnecting and making safe all the services in there). On that basis they should finish widening the eastbound tunnel in June 2012, and then move to the westbound tunnel, which (if this is right) could be finished around March 2013.

The other outdoors stuff might be running late, but there's more scope to catch up.

On that note, they are demolishing the Beecroft Rd Bus On/Off Ramp over the next few weekends. Personally, I don't think we'll see the M2 reopened to cyclists until the second half of 2013.

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